Recognized as an outstanding local volunteer who has demonstrated selfless devotion for the betterment of her community, Robin Ferst Howser, Founder & Chair of Ferst Readers, has been chosen as a 2005 recipient of the 2005 11Alive Community Service Award.

Originating her literacy efforts in her very own neighborhood of Morgan County, Robin has since expanded her definition of “community” to include the entire state of Georgia. Under her tutelage, Ferst Readers now serves children under the age of 5 in the following communities: Butts, Calhoun, Carroll, Catoosa, Dade, Effingham, Greene, Hancock, Hart, Jasper, Meriwether, Morgan, Newton, Putnam, Seminole, Taliaferro, Walker, and Washington Counties as well as the residents of the John Hope Elementary School district in Atlanta, and G.O Bailey Elementary School district in Tift County.

However her vision does not stop here! There are approximately 600,000 children under the age of 5 in Georgia and Robin is striving to send a personal library of books and literacy support services to each and every one because she knows that “Children who Read, Succeed! “

This year will mark the 30th anniversary of this prestigious award and Robin will be formally honored at the 11Alive Community Service Awards evening on April 11, 2005. News Anchors Brenda Wood and Wes Sarginson will host the live, prime time telecast which is scheduled to be aired on WXIA the following Saturday evening.

Jane Fonda and Paula Rosput Reynolds are Co-chairs of the 2005 11Alive Community Service Awards. The program will benefit the organization founded by Ms. Fonda ten years ago, The Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (G-CAPP).

Literacy Facts

Did You Know?

1 in 5 of our children lives in poverty

Approximately 61 percent of low-income
families do not have a single piece of
reading material suitable for a child

A third of our children come to school
unprepared to learn

One in four children in America grow up without learning how to read

The only behavior measure that correlates significantly with reading scores is the number of books in the home

Students who do not read proficiently by the 3rd grade are 4 times likelier to drop out of school

Children from middle-income homes have on average 13 books per child. There is only one book for every 300 children in low-income neighborhoods